1. 2 Samuel 6:2 (NEG79)
  2. Explication du texte

What does it mean for the ark to be called by the name of the LORD of hosts?

2 Samuel 6:2 (NEG79)

2 Et David, avec tout le peuple qui était auprès de lui, se mit en marche depuis Baalé-Juda, pour faire monter de là l'arche de Dieu, devant laquelle est invoqué le nom de l'Eternel des armées qui réside entre les chérubins au-dessus de l'arche.

The long name given to the ark is probably its formal title (see 1 Samuel 4:4).1 The phrase itself indicates that the ark was uniquely associated with God’s identity and presence. In ancient Near Eastern culture, a name was not just a label but represented the essence, authority, and character of a person. The ark being called by the name of the Lord of hosts signifies that it bore or represented God’s name; it was a tangible symbol of his presence among his people. The ark itself was not divine but it was set apart as holy because it was expressly linked to God. The Lord of hosts can otherwise be translated as Lord Almighty. It identifies the Lord as the King of the hosts or armies of the spiritual realm, that is heaven.